Members of the public are continuing to pass through the Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday as the remains of Jimmy Carter lie in repose after arriving in Washington on Tuesday.
The public will be allowed to view Carter's casket until 7 a.m. Thursday, hours before his state funeral in Washington.
Carter died at the age of 100 on Dec. 29, 2024, after spending almost two years in hospice care.
Carter's remains were moved from Atlanta to Washington after his body laid in repose from Saturday evening through Tuesday morning at the Carter Center.
A horse-drawn caisson led a procession to the U.S. Capitol where military body bearers carried the casket into the Capitol Rotunda.
Prior to opening the Capitol to the public, a ceremony for members of Congress was held. In eulogy addresses in the Rotunda, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President Kamala Harris recalled Carter's life and service.
"President Carter's life, his selfless service, his fight against cancer and his lasting contributions to his fellow man are all truly remarkable," Johnson said. "Today in these hallowed halls of the republic we honor President Carter, his family and his enduring legacy that he leaves not only upon this nation, but upon the world."
"Today we gather to celebrate the life of a man whose works will echo for generations to come," said Harris.
"We have heard much today and in recent days about President Carter's impact in the four decades after he left the White House," she said. "Rightly so. Jimmy Carter established a new model for what it means to be a former president, and leaves an extraordinary post-presidential legacy."
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A national funeral service will be held for Carter Thursday at 10 a.m. ET. at the Washington National Cathedral. Following the ceremony, Carter's body will be flown back to Georgia, where a private funeral will be held at the Maranatha Baptist Church, where Carter was a Sunday school teacher.
He will then be interred at a private ceremony where he will be buried next to his wife Rosalynn.
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